Glimmerglass Festival releasing opera film for free on website

The Glimmerglass Festival is releasing  ‘The Knock’, a 50 minute opera as a film for free on its website on Veteran’s Day, Thursday, November 11.

‘The Knock’, composed by Aleksandra Vrebalov, was originally slated for a 2020 stage production, but after the pandemic hit, they decided to create the work as a film. The one-act opera is about the wives of military men waiting for news of their husbands.

The libretto, created by Deborah Brevoort, is based on interviews of soldiers’ spouses.

“When the creators first suggested this topic, I was immediately captivated by the idea,” Francesca Zambello, Artistic & General Director of The Glimmerglass Festival, said in a media release. “So often we see works that take place on the battlefield, but when someone serves in the armed forces, the entire family — and the community, for that matter — is serving together. It is truly inspirational to see and try to understand the world from perspective — of the spouses who are serving in their own ways. We are proud to present this opera.”

The film will be visible on glimmerglass.org.